Wynnster Phoenix 6
(Sleeping Capacity 6 persons)

The Tent / Erection  Pitching

The instructions for erection are very clear, printed on waterproof fabric and sewn into the bag.  My first impression when erecting the tent was "Wow!  It's not ring and pin"!  I have never found the "ring and pin" system to be an easy way of erecting a tent. The old way, as used by this tent, is much easier, i.e. spike on the end of the pole inserted into an eyelet on the flysheet webbing straps. I always try to erect a tent myself if possible, but had to call for help to lift the dome.  With this Wynnster tent we found the easiest way we found was to peg the groundsheet out at the corners and to insert only the three main dome poles  and then for one person to go inside and push the poles up while the other person inserted the spikes into the eyelets. (The metal ferrules which connect the poles had a tendency to snag on the sleeves a bit and had to be coaxed through, not too good when you're in a hurry).  Then the two bedroom poles and the canopy pole can be inserted, but before you finish pegging out, hang the inner tents or you will find them a tight fit.  I was a bit wary about pegging the inner tents through the sewn in groundsheet in two places, but there is a rubber reinforcement patch round the pegging point and we have had no problems with water coming in through here. Most of the pegs supplied are thin wire ones and I replaced them with better quality ones, but the guy ropes are excellent quality fluorescent ones. 

Inside the tent, I thought the SIG was a touch thin and crinkly, but that doesn't matter as I cover it with picnic rugs.  There are 3 doors, the two side doors have mesh panels and the front door has a very large window with a zipped curtain.  This door doesn't have a mesh panel, which is a shame as it has a canopy over it and is the only door you could leave open in the rain.  There is plenty of light in this tent, in addition to the window on the front door, there are two either side of it, and one on the roof, plus two semi-circle windows next to the side doors.  Ventilation is excellent in dry weather as you can leave the two side doors open and the mesh panels closed, but if it rains you have to rely on the vents at the back of the inner-tents and the roof vent. We have had a slight problem of the wind blowing off the canopy which covers this vent a couple of times and you can't reach it when the tent is erected. This is because the knots on the elastics come undone, so check and tighten them before you erect the tent.  There are plenty of storage pockets and hanging rings in the living area and in each bedroom.

I was impressed by the height in both the living area and the bedrooms.  There are two inner tents, one is a 4 berth which can be divided into two 2 berths by a fully zipped wall.  The other, a 2 berth which is slightly larger then the other 2 bedrooms.  There are ventilation panels on the bedroom doors with zipped covers.  

Two more points to mention - firstly, the step over the SIG at the front door is one of highest I have ever seen, very easy to trip up over, especially for young children, and a few have done so, causing some of the seams to come unstitched in that area. A pity there isn't a couple of zips to lay the groundsheet flat in the doorway during the day. Secondly, there is no EHU entry point so the cable has to go over the SIG through one of the side doors which has resulted in some of the stitching coming apart on this door too.

The Verdict

During the last year, we have used the Wynnster in all weathers and it has stayed its ground, although in heavy wind, it flexes alarmingly but springs back into shape when the wind dies down.  It is probably designed to do this rather than have the poles snap.  In torrential rain, there were a couple of leaks through the window zips, but the 2nd time it rained like that, there was no problem so I guess it sealed itself.  It's an excellent tent, and due to its bedrooms being side by side along the back wall, it still fits on a standard campsite pitch even though it is a large and spacious tent.  We have found the living area large enough for 6 people to sit and eat at the table, and the bedrooms will just accommodate 3 double air-beds.

Information and Links

Visit  Wynnster at their website Wynnster
For Wynnster Tents for Sale Check Out The Classified Ads

Reviewed by MissElaineous

Note We recommend with all tents that you see them fully erected and satisfy yourself that the product is right for you prior to making a purchase.